Some big assumptions. First, that added exposure for the football program is a
positive image for the church. We've all seen very public examples of
poor sportsmanship, and while cases like Max Hall's tirade and fans fights with
UNLV in the basketball tournaments are more the exception than the rule, those
cases truly do more to hurt the church's image than winning against teams like
San Jose State or New Mexico State do to help the image.

No, DH.
The truth is, if it really is all about positive exposure and not about money,
then BYU will still move forward as an independent in football (they would have
done it before Utah left for more money), even after Craig Thompson crippled
their plans to sabotage the MWC.

My guess is that they're going to
stay put, because the deal suddenly became much less attractive for their other
sports, and to ESPN. And even though you'd like to think that this was all
about a more righteous motive, we'll see very clearly that this is all about
money.

BYU will have way better exposure with ESPN and BYUTV than
staying in the MWC with Versus, CBSC, and The Mountain Channel. I wouldn't be
surprised if BYU already has the BCS issue hashed out with ESPN as well. It
will be interesting to hear what exactly BYU's contract with ESPN entails money
wise as well. I've heard the rumors about how much they could get. Regardless,
BYU will have much more exposure and with exposure also helps with the
recruiting as well.

yes, going independent will provide more exposure nationally. The faith is the
driver. They can gain only so much exposure by visiting Laramie and Abq every
other year. I would like to know why the other sports outside of football can't
stay in the MWC.

Why muck up BYUtv with sports programming? Why not add a companion channel
(let's call it the BYU Sports Network for sake of a better name right now) that
can cross promote with BYUtv? Doesn't the new HD facility provide bandwidth for
3 more HD channels of programming?

I agree with this article, that exposure is a key, but again would say you can't
overestimate the importance of being "free to act, and not be acted upon" is to
the LDS faith...sports is a great way to teach what The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-Day-Saints is all about....many of the so-called experts on talk-radio
just do not get it, that while winning, money, recognition are factors for
anything BYU does, the key mission is to show the world that the Restored Gospel
of Jesus Christ is real and brings life "more abundantly" in every facet...the
creative talent at the Y would have an opportunity to shine in broadcasting Y
sports and influence, the first-class, state of the art broadcasting facilities
are again only an echoing of that creed to show strength and goodness in having
a total "style of our own," that honestly seeks to be a shinning light on a
hill...

I am a big BYU fan and have been all my life (like the Utes too). Harmon's
hyperbole, however, is getting nauseating. BYU's football program is a "light
hidden under a bushel in the MWC"? That is ridiculous. If BYU wins the BCS
National Championship, will that make people view us more favorably? Will they
suddenly think we aren't polygamists, or that we read the Bible or believe in
Jesus? If BYU is visible on ESPN every Saturday, are we somehow more
trustworthy?

I don't know which is better (going independent or not),
but I hope we're not counting on the football team to make our public opinion
numbers look better. The football and other sport programs are great assets,
particularly for developing character for the participants, but let's not get
too dramatic about it. Is more exposure for the football team good for the
Church? In some ways, I am sure it is. Probably not when the athletes commit
personal fouls or behave in an unsportsmanlike way, or the fans fight with
opposing coaches and players--unless we want to appear to the world to be
"normal" (whatever that is).

No, this article is dead on. Exposure was the reason for making the move. But
that doesn't mean it might not still fall through. Money may not be the main
impetus for the move, but it can't be ignored, and if the WAC is too crippled
that it doesn't make fiscal sense anymore, then BYU might stay put in the
MWC.

But that doesn't change why they considered the move in the
first place.

Don't underestimate how important BYU-TV is to getting
the word out about the Church and university. My friend in Georgia said all her
scrapbooking buddies knew and loved BYU-TV because it had the best scrapbooking
shows, and then they stuck around to see devotionals and were impressed. Now
BYU-TV would like to do something similar for the male audience. Draw them in
with sports, and maybe they'll see the Church isn't so scary after all.

I agree that Max's tirade and things like that are huge steps backward.
Hopefully that won't happen often. If it became too common, the Church would
shut sports down that quick.

Outsiders and church haters will never really understand what this is all about.
To them winning and the sports program is all that matters. That is why they
will sell their souls in recruiting and look the other way when it comes to
character or what is happening with the athletes that they have brought onto
their campuses (USC anyone?). We have had our missteps. Our players make
mistakes in what they say and do. But there is no comparison in the purpose of
our programs or the type of athletes that we attract to other institutions. BYU
sports simply has a different mission to fulfill (pun intended).

Why do they need more exposure? They are still supported by a large number of
LDS households and their recruiting is mostly limited to that same group.How is going independent going to increase exposure? They'll still mostly play
in the west, football fans in the west already know who they are.Their
recruiting has been the same for the last 30+ years and will continue to be the
same.All this is doing is leaving several programs in the former WAC
scrambling to recover.Once again, Utah is the first domino to get things
going. The exception is that nobody blamed Utah for leaving, everyone thinks byu
is just being self serving and arrogant for what they're doing.

Thanks Dick,I have been whining for 4 years+, that I, a long time
contributor to BYU and BYU Athletics can't see any football or basketball games
in Arizona, along with the 400,000 other Desert State members. The Alumni
doesn't end at the Utah border, why should the televised coverage of BYU sports
via the invisible airwaves end at such a point? The "mushroom network" created
as the MWC presidents "Evil Spawn," was a huge mistake at precisely the wrong
time. Does it really matter if another BYU president was part of the creation?
It was shortsighted, incredibly naive, and just plain stupid. Do we have to
remain with our mistakes, or are we given the right to examine, refocus, and
leave the past in the rearview? Apparently the administration has done so,
Independence is the new route. What ignited the idea into action? I don't think
it had much to do with whatever Utah did, the key was the Oklahoma-BYU 2009
opener, when BYU proved it belonged on the same field at last year's runner-up,
and did so with zillions of eyes having an interest is seeing it happen.

BYU possibly going independent is not about money, it's
about exposure.

BYU, because of the LDS church, already has all the
money it needs to operate at a high level of success (recruiting trips, nice
facilities, decent salaries for coaches, etc). Yes, tithing helps pay for all
this.

So it's not about money. It's about exposure.

If
BYU is reasonably confident it can be more like Notre Dame and not like Navy, I
say go for it.

Seems like a bummer to leave the MWC now that we
finally have an opportunity to play Boise State but anti-BYU whiners as well as
many devout BYU fans have been clamoring for years to see how good we really are
and scheduling more good teams via independence gives us that chance.

If the PAC-10 (12) or other major conferences don't find us appealing and
won't help us sell ourselves then we'll have to do that on our own.